The government-appointed Central District Community Service Consultative Council held its first regular monthly meeting of the year yesterday, where, among other things, concerns about restaurants’ outdoor seating arrangements and ex-prisoners’ rehabilitation were raised.
The first part of the meeting was open to the media, during which councillors raised various issues one by one. The meeting then proceeded behind closed doors.
The closed-door meeting was attended by Correctional Services Bureau (DSC) Social Assistance, Education and Training Division Acting Chief Mak Kam Sim, and Coloane Prison Director Lam Kam Sau who briefed the council on the operations of the city’s correctional facility and its counselling programme for rehabilitated former prisoners.
The nearly three-hour meeting was held at the Patane Activity Centre on Avenida de Demétrio Cinatti (爹美刁施拿地大馬路).
In the first part of the meeting, councillor Tam Chan Lam expressed concern regarding the operational development of restaurants’ outdoor seating arrangements in Zape.
Tam suggested that flexible or moderately extended operating hours be permitted by the government during public holidays to provide more visitor experience opportunities. Additionally, a “demerit point system” could be considered for environmental hygiene, where outdoor seating restaurateurs piling up the maximum demerit points allowed would be barred from applying for outdoor seating permits within a specified period, Tam said.
Meanwhile, councillor Mok Chio Kuan expressed concern regarding support for rehabilitated ex-prisoners, hoping to strengthen vocational training and other initiatives for them. Mok pointed out that the current job market is highly competitive, and former prisoners trying to reintegrate into civil society often can only secure temporary, low-income positions with limited career development opportunities. Mok recommended strengthening skill training to better align with industry demands, thereby enhancing the employability and competitiveness of reintegrated former prisoners.
Councillor Chan Hio Teng said that the government could establish an “Employment Support Centre” for reintegrated ex-prisoners to provide comprehensive services such as career planning and interview coaching, as well as ongoing employment assistance. Chan also said that the authorities should collaborate with community organisations to set up social enterprises. By integrating vocational training, social support, and business operations models, diverse job opportunities could be created, Chan said.
During the post-meeting press briefing, the council’s deputy convenor Pui Seng In and councillor Wong Sok Kuan cited a DSC statement released to the councillors during meeting about the city’s new prison, located on Estrada da Barragem de Ka Ho in Coloane, which commenced operations in October 2024. Covering a total area of approximately 42,000 square metres, the facility has a maximum capacity for 2,704 inmates. It incorporates an intelligent management system and provides enhanced spaces for education, vocational training, and recreational activities. Beyond hardware upgrades, the bureau continues to provide support to inmates, including psychological counselling, family assistance, education, and vocational skills training, while also organising community engagement activities. Tailored workshops, such as art therapy and sexual offence prevention programmes, are conducted to address the needs of different inmate groups, both quoted the DSC statement as saying.
In terms of assisting reintegration into society, the employment programme for ex-prisoners implemented by the bureau has involved 461 participants since 2012, with 260 successfully securing employment, both said during the press briefing. In 2025, 37 ex-prisoners participated in the programme, and 15 were hired by social enterprises, resulting in an employment rate of approximately 40 percent. According to the latest statistics by the bureau, the recidivism rate among individuals released from prison has fallen to 5.6 percent, down from 12.4 percent in 2018.
Central District Community Service Consultative Council Deputy Convenor Pui Seng In (right) and fellow councillor Wong Sok Kuan pose during yesterday’s press briefing after the government-appointed council’s closed-door meeting at the Patane Activity Centre on Avenida de Demétrio Cinatti. – Photo: Armindo Neves
